Most Americans are probably aware that a steady diet of foods like chicken nuggets, candy bars and sodas are not a path to health, yet their low cost and easy access mean these foods are becoming a regular part of many people’s diets in the US and around the world. AICR’s research shows that highly processed foods with added fats and sugars contribute to weight gain and having obesity, thus raising the risk for cancers such as colorectal, endometrial and post-menopausal breast. Now, a population study explores whether there is a direct association between eating these ultra-processed foods and cancer risk.

There’s been a lot of news about taxing sugar-sweetened beverages as one way to improve people’s health and raise revenue that could be used for anti-obesity initiatives or other community programs. While controversial, many public health experts think this could be one way to encourage people to consume fewer sugary drinks and therefore help curb obesity in kids and adults.

Say you’re a parent of a young child and you’re picking out a beverage for your kid. You’re scanning the options and see this label – would it make you pick another drink?

What about this one?

A new study finds that for many parents of 6 to 11 year olds, these or other similar warning labels are enough to avoid buying that sugary beverage for their child. At least that’s what parents said in an online survey. The study was published yesterday in the journal Pediatrics. (It coincidentally was released the same day that a ruling to require warning labels on sugary beverages failed to go forward in California.)

Avoiding sugary beverages is one of AICR’s recommendations for cancer prevention as it can lead to weight gain, for kids and adults. And excess body fat is a cause of many common adult cancers, including colorectal and post-menopausal breast.